Your First Round Big Board

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Okay, it's draft week and it's time to go on the record. Post your big board for the first round of the draft. Post your top-five+ for our draft selection this year. Assume we're No. 1 overall so don't take someone you expect to be picked off your board because of that, assume all players will be available for our pick whether it's feasible or not.

For what it's worth, Elway's top-five was leaked to Mike Klis (warning, this could be a smokescreen) and can be found HERE, the order isn't precisely specified one through five but the five names are, in alphabetical order: Josh Allen, Saquon Barkley, Bradley Chubb, Sam Darnold, Baker Mayfield.

My big board is constructed based on the following three considerations - the prospect's overall grade in a vacuum, team needs and positional importance.

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I have Nelson lower than most, which when I made my board, surprised me a little bit. While I have Nelson graded as an A++ prospect I guess the other two categories, team need and positional importance, knock him down a little bit. If you're doing a 1-10 scale and weighting all equally, I give Nelson a 10 for overall prospect grade, but probably a 6 for RG and a 6 or 7 for team need because I don't think we're in that bad of shape with McGovern at RG, especially if Veldheer can hold his own at RT and Paradis returns healthy as an elite C.

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I have cooled on Saquan overall. If this team had a better offseason and seemed ready to fight for a playoff spot, I would have no issue taking an elite RB like Saquan. But I don't think we are close to that level, and I don't want to invest a blue-chip pick on a player that may be half-used-up by the time we are back to relevancy.

Darnold and Rosen may need to sit a season, but this team isn't a edge rusher or OG away from competing so take the franchise QB and aim to compete in 2-3 seasons. Its not a perspective that I enjoy taking, but its reality. The cupboards are quite bare. The team top-to-bottom doesn't have great talent level and our best hope to compete sooner-than-later is to bring in a franchise QB that raises all ships. And only Darnold/Rosen strike me as potentially being that savior. Grab them now before Case helps us limp to a 7-9 year and puts us in the dreaded treadmill category of picks 10-20.

7. Vea (guy is a freak guys 300 lbs aren’t as quick as him and he’s a pass rush force and his tape shows a motor and elite translation of skills to production). His position knocks him back much like Nelson is doing at G.

8. Ward (would be higher if he was bigger. Not a pushover but it creates separation from the Ramsey / Lattimore level).

9&10. Fitzpatrick & James - I keep going back and forth lol. Hybrid guys different types like others have mentioned.

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Josh Rosen - Love that he just called out all the QB's who have ever been rated in front of him from high school til now. Mega chip on the guys shoulder and he's right, he continually produces where others have faded. He's a clean prospect, I think the personality/teammate concerns might be nitpicking because there's few flaws in his game.

Baker Mayfield - Has an attitude, yea, but he makes all the throws, is accurate and will be good from the pocket. Like Rosen, he wants to prove people wrong. I don't see a Johnny Football repeat here, he's much different, it was clear Manziel had substance abuse problems beyond alcohol.

Sam Darnold - Good player, but too much of a gunslinger. Needs to be smarter with the football before I rank him above the top 2.

Lamar Jackson - Going to depend where he goes, but if he's given freedom to just go out and play football and use his talents to freelance like Deshaun Watson was he's going to be effective in the league.

Mason Rudolph - OK State QB's never really pan out. Has good wide receivers, but he also makes throws beyond his years like throwing guys open.

Josh Allen - To me this guy is a thrower and not a quarterback. When a players stock takes a dive during the season, and then climbs back up when he's throwing to uncovered receivers in shorts it's a big red flag. I'd bet on Allen to bust over any other player in the first round, regardless of position.

My Non-QB Ranks

Quentin Nelson - Destroys people on the field, completely dominant, and has the kind of attitude that will rub off on his line mates. Sign me up.

Bradley Chubb - Production to go along with the athletic upside. He'll be a force in the league, Von and Chubb would be fun to watch.

Saquon Barkley - I think he's one of the best RB prospects in a while. I don't like the idea of drafting a position where the likelihood of that player signing a 2nd contract is probably lower than 50/50.

Roquan Smith - He'll be awesome in the middle. Not the most athletic ILB this draft, but great instincts trump great athleticism at this position for me.

Minkah Fitzpatrick - I really value the swiss army knife type player that Fitzpatrick is, and I think that versatility is becoming more valued in today's NFL. I know we have Su'a now to help with RB and TE, but do still need a cover corner.